Arizona School Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements
Arizona school psychologists hold a renewable School Psychologist, PreK–12 certificate through the Arizona Department of Education. Renewal generally requires 15 clock hours of professional development for each year of the certificate term, or an approved current professional credential such as the NCSP.
Arizona School Psychologist Requirements at a Glance
15 Professional Development Hours Per Certificate Year
Arizona uses a renewal formula rather than a single hour total that applies to every certificate.
A renewable School Psychologist certificate requires 15 clock hours of professional development for every year in the certificate term.
Standard certificates issued since August 2017 are twelve-year certificates, so a school psychologist using the professional development pathway would normally document 180 hours.
What About Older 8-Year Certificates?
Arizona's renewal guidance still recognizes older standard certificates issued in 2016 or 2017 that carried an eight-year term.
An eight-year certificate requires 120 professional development hours because the same 15-hours-per-year formula applies.
NCSP Can Replace the Professional Development Requirement
Arizona provides an especially useful renewal option for school psychologists who maintain the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential.
Arizona's current renewal guidance specifically lists a valid NCSP credential issued through NASP as an approved certificate that may be used to meet the renewal requirement.
What Professional Development Can Count?
Arizona requires professional development to relate to Arizona academic or professional educator standards, or to support attainment of an additional Arizona certificate, endorsement, or approved area.
Qualifying activities may include:
- Academic coursework related to education
- District or school-sponsored in-service training
- Professional conferences
- Professional workshops
- Training related to public education
- Other activities permitted under Arizona rules
Relevant School Psychology Topics
- Psychoeducational assessment
- Academic and behavioral intervention
- Special education law
- Section 504
- School psychology ethics
- Student mental and behavioral health
- Data-based decision making
Professional Conferences and Workshops
Arizona recognizes professional conferences and workshops related to the profession of teaching or the field of public education as professional development activities.
Arizona limits credit from professional conferences and workshops to 30 clock hours per year.
Documentation generally includes the conference agenda and a certificate or statement from the sponsoring organization showing the clock hours earned.
Using College Coursework for Arizona Renewal
College coursework may be used toward Arizona certificate renewal. Arizona counts:
1 Semester Hour = 15 Professional Development Hours
Coursework must be documented through official transcripts from an accredited institution.
Can Online Continuing Education Count in Arizona?
Arizona's renewal rules permit a range of professional-development activities rather than requiring all hours to come through one state-specific provider system.
Online professional development may be relevant when it relates to professional educator standards or the individual's professional role and is supported by appropriate documentation.
School psychologists should keep a certificate showing the activity title, provider, completion date, and number of clock hours and should confirm acceptance when needed.
Do NASP-Approved Courses Count in Arizona?
Arizona does not state that continuing education must come from a NASP-approved provider in order to qualify as professional development. The activity instead needs to satisfy Arizona's professional-development standards and documentation requirements.
NASP-approved courses are particularly relevant for Arizona school psychologists because they can support NCSP renewal, and a current NCSP itself is specifically recognized by Arizona as an alternative way to satisfy state certificate renewal requirements.
Child & School Psychology CE
Child & School Psychology CE is a NASP Approved Provider, Provider #1152. Qualifying courses may be used toward applicable NCSP continuing professional development requirements.
Arizona school psychologists using individual courses toward the state's professional-development route should make sure the activity satisfies current Arizona renewal and documentation requirements.
NCSP Also Provides an Arizona Certification Pathway
Arizona also recognizes the NCSP as one route for meeting the professional preparation requirement for initial School Psychologist, PreK–12 certification.
Other preparation pathways include completing a graduate program in school psychology of at least 60 graduate semester hours, qualifying doctoral preparation and retraining, or specified school psychology experience.
Applicants generally must also document either a supervised 1,200-hour school psychology internship, including at least 600 hours in a school setting, or qualifying professional experience.
Renewal Documentation
Arizona accepts several forms of documentation depending on the professional-development activity used for renewal.
- District or school verification for qualifying in-service training
- Official transcripts for college coursework
- Conference agendas and completion certificates for conferences and workshops
- Verification of a current NCSP when using the national certification option
- A valid Arizona DPS IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card
Online Continuing Education for Arizona School Psychologists
Child & School Psychology CE provides self-paced online professional development designed specifically for school psychologists and related professionals.
Courses address ethics, legal issues, assessment, behavior, intervention, student mental health, data-based decision making, and evidence-based school psychology practice.
We are a NASP Approved Provider, Provider #1152. Review each individual course description for its number of hours, CPD type, learning objectives, and approval information.
View Online CE CoursesMaintaining Your NCSP?
Arizona specifically recognizes a current NCSP credential as an alternative to documenting the professional development hours normally required for state certificate renewal.
School psychologists maintaining the NCSP should continue to satisfy NASP's separate continuing professional development requirements.
View NCSP CPD RequirementsOfficial Arizona Resources
Certification requirements can change. School psychologists should verify current renewal requirements with the Arizona Department of Education before submitting a renewal application.
- Arizona Department of Education – Renew Your Certification
- Arizona Department of Education – School Psychologist, PreK–12
- Arizona Department of Education – Certification Requirements
Requirements reviewed September 2026. This page is provided for informational purposes and is not a substitute for current guidance from the Arizona Department of Education.